When the Starbuck’s Christmas cups go away and your neighbors begin to take down their decorations, the last thing in the world you probably want to do is to be thinking about shopping considering you’ve been fretting about it for the past month. While it may feel like we get deals galore thrown in front of our faces during the month of December, once Christmas season is over, you may be able to snag yourself a really good deal if you know what to buy. I’ve put together a quick your smart money moves guide on five items you might want to consider buying after December 25th (mind you that it’s probably better about the second week of January). Electronics – While you can get a really good deal on video game consoles and cameras, the one electronic I would really keep my eye on are high definition televisions. Remember, each January the Consumer Electronics Show takes place in Las ...

Grocery stores have turned into much more than grocery stores today. They don’t just sell us frozen foods, vegetables, meats, and bread, but today they have become a virtual cornucopia of products and services that range across many different spectrums. However, at their core, grocery stores aren’t much different than taking a trip to the Wynn in Las Vegas. They are there to separate you from your money. As I try to look out for you as a consumer, I thought I would give you the seven best tricks I see grocery stores employ today and how you can become a smarter shopper at the store. Dairy Is In The Back – You might think the reason that dairy products are the last thing you buy in a grocery store is because you don’t want them to get too warm before you check out, but the reality is that dairy is typically in the back or the last aisle because ...

There is a small green wicker basket that sits in one of our drawers at home. It doesn’t really do anything at all except store cords, chargers, and phones. This basket has become a bit nostalgic because in just the last five to ten years, it almost acts like a mobile phone historic museum on how the smart phone has evolved. It’s funny seeing something like a Blackberry that was so modern 10 years ago and looks so ancient today. But since we love to figure out how to make money on items that are just sitting and collecting dust, just how can you make some dough off of your old cell phones? Gazelle With Gazelle, it is extremely fast, painless, and easy to sell your old cell phone. You will simply answer a few questions about your old devices and Gazelle will let you know how much it’s worth to them. They will send you a box to ship ...

One of the planning items that most people have when they go on vacation is whether or not to rent a car. With the evolution of services such as Uber and Lyft, some people are skipping the rent a car altogether and trying to manage the cost of having a car service take you around the city you are traveling through for vacation. However, we love showing people how to make money and one of the up and coming ideas is to rent your car out to others while it is just sitting there in the driveway. Some people leave the country for an extended period of time and won’t be using their car and others have a weekend car that does nothing but sit and collect dust during the week. Being smart about making money is getting your assets to work for you instead of you working for your money. The first service you need to learn about is ...

There is no doubt that this entire month is going to be spent hanging out at holiday parties, shopping at the department stores, and thinking about how fast each goes by as you get older. While we will see all sorts of gadgets, clothes, and toys that you can buy this holiday season, perhaps it might be a good idea to consider a gift that could help one of your friends or family members build some wealth. Here are my five your smart money moves that can help the ones you love increase their bottom line. uniquestockgift.com – What better way to help someone build wealth than actually purchasing them ONE share of stock? With Unique Gift Stock, you literally have hundreds of companies to choose from to buy one share of stock in a company and then give it away as a gift. You can present the stock in a beautiful frame with a personalized plaque note. From that ...

Stores and restaurants are really really smart at figuring out how to get you to spend more money. These are time tested marketing techniques that you won’t even think about before or after you make your purchase. The key for these stores, restaurants, and outlets is to make you feel good…..like you got a deal or you are special or you are one of the exclusive few that got this opportunity. The goal is to separate you from your money. Here are six traps to watch out for that will trick your brain into spending more money. THE NO DOLLAR SIGN TRICK —This one is most seen when you eat out at an upscale restaurant. You’ll notice that they will list a meal with the number 15 (note NO $$) or they will actually spell out in some artsy fartsy font By not showing you an actual dollar sign it literally makes you think less about money thus tricking your ...

The 2016 Olympics have officially kicked off and it should prove to be exciting with USA Basketball, USA Swimming, and many more new events including golf this year. It is always amazing to hear the Olympic stories of gold medal winners and their struggle to make it to the top. Here are your smart money moves on what to do to win the Gold Medal with your financial plan. Get rid of debt as quickly as possible – Even though most people are excited about low interest rates today, just because you can borrow money doesn’t mean you should borrow money. Consumer debts are the absolute most important to get rid of in your financial plan, and consider trying to pay extra on your long term debt. Going into retirement with no debt will allow you be nimble and flexible with your choices down the road. Plan for the unexpected – With companies seemingly doing a reorganization or a rightsizing ...

Will you marry me? That magical phrase is shared between two people in love every day whether it be on a baseball scoreboard or with the entire family watching in the living room. Today student debt for Generation Y graduates is approaching an all-time high. About two-thirds of college grads in the Class of 2015 will graduate with some student loan debt. The average debt is about $35,000. (source: www.wsj.com). The real question couples should be asking when they tie the knot is “Am I marrying you or your debt?” With two daughters of my own, I don’t know if I’ll be able to get away with a $10,000 budget, but here is how to plan a fabulous wedding and do it for under $10,000. The Day Of The Week and Limit Guests – Most of us would prefer Saturday as the day of the week we get married. If the weekend is the only choice you have, Sunday can ...

In the homes of parents today in their 40’s and 50’s, the debate about how to pay for the rising cost of college has become the topic of conversation. It isn’t just the fact that while the Government says inflation remains really low, most parents are experiencing that cash flow management is becoming more of a problem than asset management. So, why do college education costs continue to defy gravity in this low inflation environment. More Non-Teaching Jobs – Higher education payrolls have also been rapidly adding more non-teaching jobs in recent years. Public and private colleges and universities expanded their payrolls by 28 percent between 2000 and 2012, more than 50 percent faster than the previous decade, according to an analysis of higher education staffing by the Delta Cost Project. There are more student programs offered on big campuses, continuing to increase the necessity of these non-teaching positions. Competition For Talent – Ultimately, price is dictated by the law ...

One of the most difficult questions that I get from both younger and older clients is whether or not it is a good idea to pay off their mortgage or invest the money? With interest rates continuing to hover around all-time lows, many people are still in the process of refinancing their existing homes or buying a new one. If your rate is in the 3% to 4% range, you may be wondering if you should take your excess monthly discretionary income to pay down your home note faster or would it be a better idea to take that cash and invest it for the long term. This decision has both financial and emotional ramifications, so let’s review the pros and cons of paying off your mortgage. The first part of this analysis is the black and white calculation on whether your money can work harder for you than the interest rate you are paying on your debt. Let’s say, ...

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